Cashew Milk vs Macadamia Milk: What’s The Difference?

In this article, we are going to compare cashew milk and macadamia milk to see how they compare in many aspects including calories, nutritional content, taste, usage, effects on weight loss, and environment.

To make this comparison as fair as possible and get a realistic picture of how cashew and macadamia milk compare, we’ve used USDA’s date on products that are unsweetened and that aren’t fortified or that are minimally fortified if the completely unfortified product isn’t available.

Both cashew and macadamia milk are dairy-free, and therefore suitable for vegans and people that stick to a plant-based diet for a variety of reasons, but there are also many differences between these plant-based drinks.

Let’s see what cashew and macadamia drinks are, how they are produced, and finally how they compare in various ways.

What is Cashew Milk and How It’s Made?

The market for substitute milk is growing day by day. This sector, which was formerly dominated by almond, oat, and soy products, now has a range of plant-based milk, which each offers a different taste and unique nutritional advantages.

Cashew milk seems to be an ideal compromise, offering a low-calorie alternative with a creamier texture than most nut milk. It also is packed with minerals, healthy fats, vitamins, and other plant-based elements.

Cashew milk, which is available in sweetened and unsweetened variants, may substitute for cow’s milk in the majority of recipes.

Cashew milk has a range of beneficial lipids, proteins, minerals, and vitamins, including cashews themselves.

This incredibly nutritious beverage gets the majority of its content from unsaturated fatty acids, which are known to improve heart health and give a variety of other advantages.

In comparison to handmade cashew milk, commercial varieties are often enriched with additional minerals and vitamins and they contain greater quantities of certain components overall.

What is Macadamia Milk and How It’s Made?

Macadamia milk is another plant-based milk product that has gained popularity in recent years and is appreciated by many individuals.

Sugar-free versions are low-calorie, low-carb, and gluten-free.

It’s also loaded with a host of properties, such as it can support your vitamin D intake, its calcium content is even higher than cow’s milk, and it’s non-GMO.

Unsweetened macadamia milk is keto-friendly. It is one of the milk with the lowest carbohydrate content of all plant milk.

Along with unsweetened pea milk, they contain less than 1 gram of carbohydrates and no sugar at all.

Instead, they’re rich in heart-friendly healthy fats thanks to the composition of macadamia nuts. However, it is worth noting that since they are made into milk, they contain less than 4% macadamia and mostly contain water.

Cashew vs Macadamia Milk Nutrition and Calories

In this section, we’ll analyze the similarities and differences between cashew milk and macadamia milk based on nutritional information provided by USDA.

Macronutrients

Plant-based milks mostly consist of water, and cashew and macadamia milks are no exceptions.

3.5 oz or 100 g of cashew milk contains 54 calories, and consists mostly of fat (4.17 g), followed by carbs (2.92 g) and protein (1.67 g).

Speaking of macadamia milk, the same amount contains 21 calories, and consists mostly of fat (2.08 g), followed by protein (0.42 g) and carbs (0.42 g).

The table below compares the nutrition of a 3.5-ounce (100-gram) portion of cashew milk to the same amount of macadamia milk.

Fiber

Fiber is important for our health as it keeps us feeling full, prevents constipation, lowers sugar spikes and regulates sugar levels, lowers total and LDL cholesterol, and provides many other benefits.

When it comes to dietary fiber, macadamia milk is a better choice. It contains 0.4 g per 3.5oz (100g), while cashew milk is lower in dietary fiber with 0 g.

Micronutrients

What about micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) in cashew and macadamia milk?

The table below shows the most important vitamins and minerals in unfortified or minimally fortified plant-based drinks available in the market. Some of these nutrients are hard to get on a vegan diet.

Weight Loss

If you’re trying to lose weight, you probably want to know whether cashew or macadamia milk is better for you.

With 54 calories per 3.5 oz (100 g), cashew milk is higher in calories than macadamia milk which contains 21 calories.

Cashew vs Macadamia Milk Taste and Uses

Cashew milk is a nut-based milk alternative similar to almond milk. Cashew milk is a little creamier than almond milk.

Most people prefer cashew milk to almond milk because of its thick consistency and mild taste. It has a subtle nutty flavor that may complement your baked items.

Cashew milk can be used to make creamy smoothies, soups, and pasta sauces. You can use it as a cream alternative with oat milk in a cream-based sauce.

You can add cashew milk to puddings and even use it to make vegan ice cream. Cashew milk with less water can give a cheesy consistency. You can use it for your vegan mac and cheese.

It can be also used as a salad dressing as well. You can add cashew milk to your breakfast cereals and oatmeal.

Macadamia milk has a perfect balance of flavor and texture. It is creamy, sweet, and slightly nutty.

Many people may get a vanilla-like aftertaste when using it.

Macadamia milk is the perfect plant-based milk choice for coffee and chai.

It pairs well with both hot and cold drinks. It goes well with iced tea and hot chocolate. Macadamia milk can be poured over any breakfast cereal or used as a base for vegan ice-creams.

You can use macadamia milk as an ingredient when baking cakes and bread. You can also use it to complement vegetable curries.

Conclusion

Cashew milk and macadamia milk are both plant-based, non-dairy beverages, suitable for vegans.

Cashew milk and macadamia milk have their similarities and differences, but both are nutritious and a healthful addition to your diet. When available, always choose unsweetened, fortified products or try making them at home.

Plant milks, including cashew and macadamia milks are easy to add to a diet, and can be used in varieties of recipes and dishes.

Fortified products will help get different nutrients, including micronutrients that are usually hard to get on a plant-based diet, such as vitamin B-12, vitamin D, calcium and others.

If you’re willing to learn more about these non-dairy milks, read our articles about them: Cashew Milk and Macadamia Milk.

Besides this article, we’ve also published other non-dairy milks comparisons.

Other Cashew Milk Comparisons

• Almond vs Cashew
• Barley vs Cashew
• Cashew vs Coconut
• Cashew vs Oat
• Cashew vs Pea
• Cashew vs Rice
• Cashew vs Soy

Other Macadamia Milk Comparisons

• Almond Milk vs Macadamia Milk
• Barley Milk vs Macadamia Milk
• Coconut Milk vs Macadamia Milk
• Macadamia Milk vs Oat Milk
• Macadamia Milk vs Pea Milk
• Macadamia Milk vs Rice Milk
• Macadamia Milk vs Soy Milk